A Very Diet Paratha Christmas at Dishoom

The result… an artist-led celebration across our cafés – a trio of tree and wreath designs unlike anything you’ve seen before. Draped in textiles, laced with neon tubes, and blooming with resin-dipped balloons, they dazzle the eyes. From sculptural surrealism to textile heritage and joyful abstraction, each tree and wreath design is as distinctive as the voices behind them.

In the following pages, Diet Paratha (DP) founder Anita Chhiba talks tree-design, Christmas and celebration with the artists behind these mesmerising creations.

Each installation is a destination in its own right. Visit, admire, step into their worlds.

For more head to and @diet_paratha on Instagram.

Dhruv Bandil x Diet Paratha

Fashion designer, Dhruv Bandil (D), bursts into our cafés with a vibrant starburst of repurposed fabrics, capturing the spirit of celebration in sculptural form. Built from repurposed, hand-dyed fabrics, each piece of patchwork is radiant with energy. Look closely, and no two stars are the same. Inspired by the festive toys and textiles of Dhruv’s childhood, each one is slightly irregular and beautifully unique.

DP: When is it too late to take the tree down? 

D: I think never.

DP: Name some things that you'd put in a custom advent calendar.

D: Lights. Sparkles. Key chains. Shoes. Perfume.

DP: Name five fantasy Christmas dinner guests.

D: Marie Antoinette. Then I'll have the person who killed her as well. To keep it spicy and get some tension in the room. Christ, himself.

DP: Would you pick someone, like, in your family?

D: I think if you have the option, you should keep it more wide. So, no.

DP: Hard no?D: No. I'll keep it at three.

DP: If you were Santa for a year, what's the first thing you'd outsource to AI?

D: Shipment.

DP: If the elves could unionise, what would their first demand be?

D: I think they’d demand a holiday on Christmas.

DP: If you could rate your tree-decorating skills out of 10, what would you give yourself?

D: I think I'll give it a 9. No, it's a 12.

DP: Okay. I like the humbleness.

DP: Can you tell us why you chose to be a part of this?

D: I think, first of all, I was just excited to be part of a celebration. It’s always nice, it attracts positive energy. Opportunities like these let you explore a different side of yourself, something you don’t usually get to do in your everyday work. For me, this collaboration was about shared values, cultural storytelling, craft, and community. It’s about taking our past forward, reinventing it with a sparkle of joy. Every element was designed to feel hand-touched and full of life.

DP: Can you tell us how you landed on the tree?

D: I wanted to express what celebration feels like. When I looked back at my old sketches, I used to do as a child, there were these strokes I made. I loved the energy in those lines. It felt spontaneous, alive, and I wanted to bring that same rough, rebellious energy into the tree. For me, celebration radiates happiness, and I wanted my tree to have that same attitude. The colours draw from the bold contrasts of Indian sarees. That deliberate exuberance that feels unapologetically joyful. I hope people pause, even for a moment, to feel that starburst of happiness. It’s a celebration of difference and of joy in all its forms.

DP: If you could hang your custom baubles that you've done for us anywhere in the world, where would you hang them?

D: On top of Mount Everest.

DP: What's on your Christmas dinner menu?

D: Something vegan.

DP: Are you vegan?

D: No, but I like to cater for my vegan friends.

DP: What are you asking for for Christmas this year?

D: Stability.

DP: What's the best Christmas gift you've ever got?

D: My mom baked a cake once, which was really, really amazing. So I consider that the best gift.

DP: That's really sweet. What kind of cake was it?

D: A basic cake without any icing, but the way she made it was quite dense, so I loved it!

Instagram: @dhruvbandil

Kartik Research x Diet Paratha

Kartik Research, an artisanal New Delhi menswear fashion brand founded by Kartik Kumra (K), offers a layered ode to Indian craftsmanship in their tree and wreath coverings. The base of the tree is formed from antique Kantha quilts, each over half a century old. They’re covered in tiny hand-cut silk flowers made by a fourth-generation Ajrakh printer near Bombay. Next is a layer of quilted Ajrakh block-printed silk dyed with natural indigo and madder. Each tree is crowned with hand-embroidered chintz linen. 

DP: Name some things that you would put in an Advent calendar?

K: We have this scent in our New York store. The people really like it, and everyone asks whether they can buy it. So we should probably figure that out so I can add it.

DP: If you were Santa for a year, what's the first thing you'd outsource to AI?

K: Probably salaries. Rudolf's been asking for a raise recently…

DP: Tell us about your tree design.

K: We treated it like a blank canvas. The idea was – how can we show what we’re good at? Which, you know, isn’t typically trees, but clothes. We work with a lot of incredible craftspeople who specialise in different techniques, and we wanted to bring as many of those as possible into this one object. Our work is deeply rooted in India’s incredible handicraft traditions, so it made sense to explore the breadth of that artistry. We looked to antique Palampore chintz textiles and the fabrics that have defined our collections. Each layer of the tree reflects a different chapter of Indian craftsmanship. There’s a lot of colour, a lot of life in it and I hope people feel a sense of optimism when they see it. It’s about diversity, collaboration, and the beauty of what’s handmade.

DP: If you could hang your custom baubles anywhere in the world, where would you hang them?

K: Dishoom. They're where they're supposed to be.

DP: If you did celebrate Christmas, what would be on your Christmas menu?

K: There's a South Indian restaurant near where I live in Delhi. I like ordering from there whenever I want something good. It’s called Comorin.

DP: What's the best Christmas gift you've ever gotten?K: Xbox

DP: I love how that was the fastest question that you answered.

DP: Name five fantasy Christmas dinner guests.

K: The director, Paul Thomas Anderson, he’s directed a lot of my favourite films. Mk.gee – he’s my favourite musician right now. Julian Casablancas from The Strokes, too. I feel like he’d be totally zoned out, but in a cool way. LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy. And then… It’s too dude-heavy right now.

DP: Yeah, let’s not make it another guy. Name a woman.

K: You can show up, but you’ll probably be busy at Dhruv’s Christmas.

DP: Okay, dinner’s cancelled.

Instagram: @kartikresearch

Neesha Tulsi Champaneria x Diet Paratha

Stylist and costume designer Neesha Tulsi Champaneria (N) conjures a cascade of life and light – resin-dipped balloons that dance between fire and bloom. An explosion captured mid-burst. Working with resin artist Leo Douglas-Morris Benavides, she transformed delicate modelling balloons into permanent, glass-like forms, their long, springy tips left uncoated so they gently move when brushed past, bringing a sense of life and motion to the piece. The result is constellations that resemble both flames and cosmic imagery.

DP: When is it too early to put the tree out?

N. 27th January

DP: If elves could unionise, what do you think their first demand would be? N: I think way more comfy shoes, 'cause they're going to be walking around on the factory floor all day and night. I’m on my feet all day, and so I understand the plight!

DP: If you could rate your tree-decorating skills, what would you give yourself out of 10 for your tree?

N: Maybe a 9.5. I'll give it a little tweak later, and then maybe it’ll be a 10.

DP: Can you tell us what it means to you to be part of this campaign?

N: It’s been really lovely, actually. I spend most of my time working in costume design, but my background is in fine art. This kind of project takes me back to where I began – sculpture, performance, video – really making things from scratch.

DP: So, tell us about your design.

N: I was quite literally thinking about stars – their influence, their connection to Christmas, and how so many religions, in their own ways, arrive at similar points around ideas of astrology, birth, and the sun. I thought it would be interesting to capture that as a kind of ball of fire. I wanted people to be intrigued to ask what it’s made of, to feel a bit of wonder. It’s joyful, it’s a bit weird, and it makes you smile. That’s enough for me.

DP: Do you want to talk a bit about the process? It was such an interesting story. ​​You went through a few months of testing, right?

N: Each balloon is filled with air, and every cluster is made separately, so every one is unique. And then they’re hung in a contraption. We did three or four pre-coloured resin pours over each balloon for a beautiful, smooth finish. And you just have to wait for it to dry and hope that none of them pop in the process. Usually, people make a cast of a balloon, not coat it directly. Our first tests got too hot and burst the balloons, so we had to do a lot of research and speak to other resin artists about cooler-setting types. It was pure trial and error – but we got there in the end!

DP: If you could hang your custom baubles anywhere in the world, where would you put them?

N: I recently went to the Alhambra in Granada. I’d love to install them there. All the patterns in that palace are mathematically put together, but they feel really organic and beautiful. With these balloons, I had a similar feeling: they’re organic and a bit chaotic, but also strangely relaxing to look at. I like things to be loud, vibrating, and sort of overlapping. OTT too.

DP: What are you asking for this Christmas?

N: I feel like these days I just want practical things. Some more cosy socks. Or maybe a cleaner. I’m quite good at cleaning, but sometimes… You need a little extra hand.

DP: Are you a Christmas re-gifter?

N: 100%. I actually remember getting a gift set from an event of yours and then…

DP: Oh my god, you re-gifted something I gave you!

N: I gave it to my mum, so it’s okay!

Instagram: @neeshatulsichampaneria